


Evolutionary

by fallingintoimagination, maddierose



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Forced Marriage, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sex, Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:55:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24180070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingintoimagination/pseuds/fallingintoimagination, https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddierose/pseuds/maddierose
Summary: Tammy and Liam Sealey are content with their lives in Alexandria, guarding a secret that could, quite literally, change the world. Resa Rovia is on the run from the Sanctuary - and her "husband" Negan. Desperate to reunite with her brother Paul, her actions could cost her - and those around her - more than she thinks. Daryl/OC; OC/OC.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character(s), Jesus (Walking Dead)/Original Male Character(s), Negan (Walking Dead)/Original Female Character(s), Negan/Negan's Wives (Walking Dead)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. Best Safety Lies In Fear

**Warnings: mentions of sex; dubious consent**

Resa Rovia examined the chessboard in front of her, brow furrowed in deep concentration as she considered her next move. She could hear some old  _ Star Wars _ movie playing in the background and wondered vaguely which of the other women had turned it on. Her eyes flicked across to her red-haired opponent. Frankie was waiting impatiently for Resa’s move. The blonde responded by swiftly taking one of Frankie’s bishops.

“Damn.” Tanya, who was watching from the couch, sucked in her breath. She’d been watching the game intently like it was something more than just a temporary cure for boredom.

It was the boredom Resa found most difficult to deal with. She knew that life outside the Sanctuary walls was far from boring – in fact, it was incredibly difficult, and a struggle for many who didn’t reside in any of the nearby colonies. Resa knew that she was sheltered and kept safe from the outside dangers, but that did nothing to stop the inside dangers. Like Frankie and Tanya, she paid a price for her safety…and that price wasn’t the boredom the women were currently experiencing.

“Who do you think he’s going to pick tonight?” Frankie asked, and Resa wondered if it was an attempt to distract from the game and beat her. They all knew precisely which  _ he _ Frankie was referring to – their ‘husband’ Negan, leader of the Sanctuary. In truth, none of them were legally married to him, but he called them his wives. Women he found attractive who had been blackmailed or coerced into the position they now found themselves in.

Once upon a time, when she’d been younger and more naïve, Resa had thought being Negan’s wife was the answer. She’d thought it was easier than the points system, in which gaining points was the currency in the Sanctuary. Then she’d caught Negan’s eye and agreed to be his wife, little realising the cost. The wives were allowed anything they wanted, except freedom of course, and they were always dressed nicely. She’d stupidly thought it glamorous, but now she knew the truth. Although Negan would never force any of his wives into anything, intimidation could be a powerful tool.

“Resa,” Tanya responded without hesitation, earning a glare from the blonde. Seeing the younger woman’s expression, Tanya raised her eyebrows. “What? You’re the one he wants the most.”

Resa remained silent, keeping her eyes on the chessboard as Frankie took a pawn. She couldn’t deny that what Tanya said was true. Although the women were given anything they wanted, Resa was restless. She wanted to experience life outside the Sanctuary, but knew it wasn’t an option. Sometimes she had to believe that there was something more, an answer besides a life as one of Negan’s concubines.

“Maybe he’ll feel like a massage.” Resa looked pointedly at Frankie. The redhead had been a massage therapist before the outbreak, and Resa could definitely testify that she gave the best massages. It was one of the only things she and Negan would agree on. Examining the board, she smugly shifted her rook across. “Check.”

“Does it bother you?” Tanya asked. “That he wants you most, I mean.”

“No.” Resa glanced at her fellow wife. That answer was true depending on the day. A lot of the time she reminded herself that having Negan’s attention meant sparing one of the other women from putting up with him. Other times she hated it. It wasn’t as though he didn’t pay any of the others attention – he loved the fact he had multiple wives he could choose from. Yet for some reason, Resa seemed to be his favourite.

Frankie cursed softly under her breath as she examined the board, seeming to realise that she was out of moves. Resa remembered who’d taught her how to play chess in the first place – her older brother, Paul. It still stung every time she thought of him. Although Resa didn’t know Paul’s fate for sure, it was easier to believe he was dead. Five years her senior, Paul had been the only constant in her life after they’d been orphaned. Sure, there had been other kids coming and going in the group homes they’d been in…but Paul had always been there, until the day he wasn’t.

Resa shifted her queen in line with Frankie’s king. “Checkmate.”

* * *

"What'd you do this time?" Daryl Dixon questioned the young Navy navigator as he stood on the edge of the infirmary, staring at his shoes. Daryl hadn’t meant to insert himself into a tense situation between Liam and Tammy Sealey, but Rick had insisted he go see the female doctor to get his injuries cleaned up after their previous run.

Liam crossed his arms over his chest, still avoiding his older sisters harsh glare. She was normally a sweet and nurturing person, except when it came to his reckless antics. “Nothing major, I swear.”

“Nearly got yourself goddamn killed trying to impress Rick.” Tammy snapped, pegging a damp cloth at the man who caught it easily. Damn him and his goddamn training.

“I was not.” He argued, putting the cloth on the shelf next to him.

Tammy turned away from where she was examining a deep gash on Daryl’s head, instead facing her brother. He was all she had left, and she didn’t want to lose him because he was trying to prove a point.

“Yes you were. Don’t lie to me.”

Daryl raised an eyebrow at her words, looking over to Liam who was clenching his jaw as the other two people in the room trained their eyes on him.

"Trying to impress Rick, huh? Why?"

“My skills are useful for more than just farming.” Liam chose to ignore his sister, hoping that if he got his point across to Daryl, who had heard the words fall from the other man’s words almost a thousand times, that he would be able to convince Rick to trust him. “I can help you guys scavenge.”

Tammy reached around her brother to grab a needle and thread before returning back to Daryl, gripping his forehead tightly as she readied herself to begin stitching him up. She glanced down at her patient, smiling sympathetically.

“Sorry, I know this bit sucks.”

Liam pushed himself away from the bench, heading for the door.

“Look, this is fascinating to watch sis, but I’m gonna go find something useful to do.”

"Seeya." Daryl waved before going back to being still as he was berated by the woman in front of him. "What's up with him?"

“He’s restless.” Tammy explained to him as she carefully stitched up his head, wiping the blood away gently after she was done and placing a plaster over it. “PTSD doesn’t help.”

"From everything since the world went to shit?" It wasn’t uncommon for a lot of them to have PTSD, especially considering some of the things they had done in order to survive. Daryl could relate to Liam wanting to keep himself busy to avoid his own mind.

“And some of the shit he saw in the Navy.” She answered as she cleaned up the bloody clothes, grabbing another bandage and gripping his arm tightly to examine the cut on his forearm. “I can’t help him much. I just don’t wanna see him hurt.”

"He's a good kid." Liam was loyal, and good at taking orders. It made him someone who was easy to work with.

Tammy shook her head, cleaning the cut on his forearm before beginning to wrap a bandage around it tightly.

“He flirts too much with nearly every woman here. It’s all jokingly, but still. He’s gonna get himself hit."

Daryl chuckled, drawing his arm back as she finished with the bandage.

"It might teach him something."

“Maybe. Anyway, we can teach you to stop ending up in this room? As much as I do enjoy your company, you should be more careful.” Tammy planted her hands on her hips. Daryl shook his head at her as he got to his feet, touching the stitches in his head and wincing slightly. She grabbed a cookie from the jar on her makeshift desk, handing it to him. “Could you put in a word to Rick about letting Liam go on runs? Please?”

Daryl thought on it for a moment before nodding, they always were in need of new people and Liam could definitely be an asset to them.

“I can try."

“It’s all I ask.” She smiled at him as she began to finish clearing the mess she had made before gesturing to his stitches. “I should be able to remove those in a few days.'

"Okay." He nodded before grabbing his crossbow and heading outside.

* * *

Giving her room some semblance of order was oddly calming for Resa. She sorted through her clothes, folding them neatly and filing them away in the battered old drawers beside her bed. As one of Negan’s wives, Resa was afforded more luxurious quarters than most in the Sanctuary. The door opened and Negan sauntered in, making Resa look up from her task, putting the pile of clothes on the bed.

“Negan.”

“Resa.” His eyes roamed over her body. “You’re looking damn fine.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Resa asked, wondering if Negan had come to have sex with her. It thrilled him that he had a choice of wives and could sleep with them whenever he liked – as long as they said yes, of course. Not that Resa knew of any of them saying no, fearing what might happen to their loved ones if they pissed Negan off.

“Just making sure you’re alright,” Negan stated, and Resa wondered if perhaps even he’d caught on to how restless she’d been of late.

“I want to go out more,” she insisted, pushing herself to her feet. “I feel cooped up. I want to come out of the Sanctuary.”

“No.” Negan shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Yeah, but if anything happened to me, you have a bunch of other wives,” Resa pointed out. She was never afraid to be blunt about such matters. Although she knew when to hold her tongue, it was true that if she was to die, Negan would still have the rest of his wives.

“You’re a favourite though,” Negan said, as though she hadn’t already realised that. He reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry, baby. It’s safest for you here.”

Resa couldn’t quite hide her disappointment. She was more than just some trophy on Negan’s shelf. She was useful. She’d been an auto mechanic before the outbreak, working on cars. She’d been the only girl at her workplace and they’d all joked about what a natural grease monkey she was. Now she was worth nothing.

Negan leaned in and kissed her. Resa kissed back automatically, sliding her arms around his neck as he looped his arms around her waist. Sometimes the rebellious part of her wanted to bite his lip, just to see what he’d do. Either he’d think it was super hot or he’d get angry at her. She wasn’t sure which was worse. Negan deepened the kiss, his leather gloved hands roaming the curves of her body, making her gasp.

“You seem happy,” Negan noted as he drew back, a pleased smirk crossing his lips.

Resa raised her eyebrows. “Aren’t you?”

“Always when I’m around you, darlin’.” Negan’s hands slid down to her ass. He started kissing her neck, tugging her close against him. Resa was used to his attention now. It didn’t bother her like it used to. She reminded herself she’d had several sexual relationships with both men and women before the outbreak. That’s what made it work for her, thinking of it less as a relationship where she experienced constant intimidation, blackmail and coercion, and more as something where she had power. They both knew the truth though – Resa had no power.

“Why are you teasing me?” she asked.

Negan drew back to look at her. “You don’t like it?”

“I do.” Resa nodded emphatically. “I also like getting to the point of things.”

Negan examined her closely, shaking his head and laughing like she’d said something amusing.

“That’s what I like about you, Resa. You’re not afraid to open your mouth.”

“You like that?” Resa asked. It was true that out of Negan’s wives, she was the most outspoken. Sherry would say something every now and again, but Resa was the woman most likely to give attitude. Sometimes it irritated Negan. Other times, like now, he just seemed amused by it.

“As long as you ain’t too out of line.”

She tossed back her blonde hair. “Of course not.”

* * *

Tammy raked a hand through her hair as she glanced across at Maggie. The two of them had been working for the past few hours now, having been helping sort all of the Alexandria stores for both food and medical supplies. It was so they knew exactly what was needed the most on runs. No point looking for something you don’t need, especially if you were put in a life of death situation. Tammy let out a heavy sigh as she stretched happily, glancing over at the other woman who was beginning to look rather tired, not that Tammy could blame her.

"You good?" She asked with a smile, resting her hands on her hips.

Maggie nodded, returning her beaming smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Hungry?" Tammy was beginning to feel the hunger pains, and had no doubt the other woman was as well considering how long they had been working.

"Starving." Maggie sighed, dropping the bandages she held in her hands into a box.

Tammy put the bundle of medicine down that she was holding, dusting her hands off on her pants before gesturing to the door. "Let’s get some food." 

"Good idea." Maggie grinned, heading out of the infirmary and down into the kitchen, watching as Tammy began to pull stuff out for them for lunch. The two women hadn’t known each other long, but found it easy to be around each other. Maggie knew that Tammy’s kind nature was part of the reason the other woman had grown on her so much, it was a reminder of what her sister had been like even after all the shit had gone down. "How's Liam?"

"He's good, still bored." Tammy answered as she began to cut up some tomato and cucumber, throwing it on a plate before tugging out some bread. "How's Glenn?"

"He's going good." Maggie told her, helping her as she began to put the sandwiches together. It was nothing fancy, but it was better than the tinned stuff they’d been living off before they’d reached Alexandria. Tammy put the plate on the table as she sat down, putting a couple of the triangles onto her plate.

"You two are adorable." 

"Thanks." Maggie laughed at her words, taking some of the food for herself, relishing in the first bite she took and realising just how hungry she was. "You and Daryl have gotten close."

Tammy raised an eyebrow at the comment. She wasn’t the first person to mention something, and she was beginning to wonder if she was becoming part of the gossip of the town. "Is that bad?" 

"No. I think it's cute." Maggie assured her, shaking her head when the dark-haired woman began to laugh at her comment. "What?"

"Never thought I'd hear anything associated with him referred to as cute." Tammy admitted, getting them both a glass of water as she began to pack away the mess from their lunch.

Maggie nodded, getting to her feet and clearing away the empty plates from the table. Alexandria was definitely growing on her now.

"Well, you two just seem to get on."

"He's a decent guy." It was hard to find decent men now that everything had turned to hell in Tammy’s opinion. She was just glad she found one, even if it wasn’t necessarily going to be more than a friendship.

"He is. I've known him a while." Maggie agreed, leaning against the bench as Tammy washed the dishes.

Tammy stacked the dishes to dry, before drying her hands on the tea towel and glancing around the kitchen. It felt weird to her being so domestic given everything that was going on. "Quiet, though."

"He's always been that way. Did he ever tell you about Merle?" Maggie asked, wondering just how much Tammy had gotten out of the man they were speaking of.

"No, he hasn't." Tammy hadn’t even known he had any siblings, but she could tell this wasn’t going to be a happy story if it hadn’t come up in conversation before. "Why?" 

"Merle was his older brother." Maggie explained. She felt weird telling Tammy in a way, knowing she probably should leave the explaining to Daryl, but she’d already mentioned it now. "He had to put him down. It hit him pretty hard."

Tammy felt her stomach twist at the thought of it. She could only imagine the strength someone would have to possess to kill their family, especially in a manner like that. She assumed that Maggie meant it was due to Merle turning, and the thought of having to kill Liam for that reason made her sick to her stomach.

"I wouldn't be able to do it."

"Put Liam down?" Maggie assumed that’s what she meant, and she could understand why. "I think we've all lost people. I lost a lot of my family. I only really have Glenn now."

"At least you have each other." Tammy pointed out, knowing they were lucky to have found each other.

* * *

Even though Negan had explicitly told her she wasn’t to leave the Sanctuary, Resa felt daring. She knew that several trucks would be leaving the compound soon, headed to the Hilltop to get the supplies that they demanded. She had to fiddle around deep in her drawers to find what she was looking for – her gun, the practical t-shirts and jeans she hadn’t worn since becoming Negan’s wives because he preferred them in little black dresses.

As a teenager, Resa had been good at sneaking out of group homes, usually to see her latest fling. Now, as a woman of twenty-five, she hoped that her sneaking skills were as good as they’d once been. She just wanted to see what was outside the Sanctuary’s walls, explore the outside world. She had no intention of leaving…well, not unless she found something better. She wasn’t happy being at the Sanctuary, but it was better than being dead. Resa had been a survivor since her parents had died, and that hadn’t changed when the outbreak had hit. She’d found ways to survive, ways she despised…yet she was still alive.

Resa tugged on the jeans and t-shirt, tying her blonde hair back into a practical ponytail. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. She wanted to be prepared to face the outside world, a world she hadn’t experienced in over three years. It was frightening to think she’d been with the Saviours for that long, that she’d been Negan’s property for that long. The thought made her shudder as she pulled on a pair of boots, tossing aside her usual heels. Maybe the others wouldn’t even recognise her.

Resa knew how things worked in the Sanctuary. She knew what time the trucks would roll out, and her best bet was climbing in the back of one of them. She knew that asking for a ride was only going to result in her being dragged back inside and told to stay put. Resa knew she wasn’t fragile, knew that she was worth more than what the Saviours saw her as. Maybe an adventure into the outside world would make Negan understand that too.

Part of her hoped Hilltop might have something more to offer. Maybe Resa could leave permanently, as dangerous an idea as it was. She didn’t completely hate the Sanctuary, but the thought of Negan’s hands on her body, of the dirty comments he made when he had sex with her…she grimaced. If it was up to her, she wouldn’t be sleeping with a man more than twenty years her senior in order to survive. Unfortunately, circumstances meant she didn’t have much of a choice.

Heaving a sigh, Resa slipped her gun into her belt. She hoped that she wouldn’t need it, but walkers could be anywhere and everywhere these days. She was ready to prove that she was still as smart and resourceful as she had been before the apocalypse. She wanted to prove it to Negan and the Saviours. But most importantly, she wanted to prove it to herself.


	2. Family Ties

**Warnings: mentions of sex, dubious consent**

The community of Hilltop wasn’t much, but Resa examined everything with a sense of wonder. Perhaps it was because she’d been in the Sanctuary for the past few years, but it reminded her that a world outside of that existed. Despite the fact that it was only meant to be a temporary adventure, Resa found herself craving freedom more than ever. She kept an eye on Simon, making sure he was too busy with the supplies to realise she’d jumped from the truck and was wandering the premises.

A familiar face made her pause, sure that she must be imagining things. She hadn’t seen her brother Paul for years. They’d been separated at the start of the outbreak. Yet the man standing nearby, regarding her with curious eyes, looked just like her older brother. He was bearded now, but the small and slender frame hadn’t changed.

“Resa?”

“Paul!” Any doubt flew out the window, and the blonde ran over to fling her arms around him. The years could take away many things, but her love for her brother certainly wasn’t one of them. Resa felt overwhelmed by emotion – she’d been sure that Paul was lost to her, and never had she imagined he could be so close.

“I thought you were dead.” Paul held her close as she buried her face in his shirt and cried, overcome with relief at realising that there was something bright in the darkness. In a world so bleak, she hadn’t ever thought she might allowed to have something good again. She sniffed and wiped away her tears.

“I thought I’d never see you again.” She smiled as he kissed the top of her head. “It’s really you.”

Paul and Resa had always been close. As orphans in the foster system, they’d only ever had each other to rely on. Paul was five years older and therefore had always been very protective of Resa. She had felt numb at the thought of having lost him, her gentle and kind-hearted brother who had always been there for her, no matter how silly the issue had seemed to her.

“In the flesh.”

“Look at this.” Resa tugged lightly at his beard, a teasing smile playing about her lips.

“Hey!” Paul exclaimed, but he was grinning too. “It looks good.”

“It does.” Resa examined her brother. He had always been on the shorter and leaner side, so she didn’t expect that to have changed. “You look healthy.”

“So do you,” Paul replied.

“Ah shit,” Resa murmured as she noticed Simon stalking toward them, evidently having realised what was going on. She forced a smile, knowing that she was in a lot of trouble now that she’d been caught. “Simon. Oh hey, buddy.”

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Simon grabbed her arm none too gently and started dragging her back toward the trucks. “If Negan finds out you’re both out here, we’re both dead.”

Resa glanced over her shoulder at her brother. She hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye to him, and their meeting had been far too brief for her liking. Yet now that she knew Paul was alive, Resa was determined that this escape from the Sanctuary would become permanent. She didn’t know too much about Hilltop, but anywhere had to be better than being Negan’s plaything. Paul would protect her, he always had.

“Move, now,” Simon snapped.

“Okay, chill.” Resa rolled her eyes, hauling herself up into the truck. She was frustrated at having come so close, only to be taken back again. Negan would put restrictions on her, but it was something she could eventually work past. It disgusted her, knowing the things she’d have to do to earn Negan’s trust and get some freedom again, but it would be worth it if she could someday soon find her way back to Paul.

* * *

Tammy ran her fingers over the flesh surrounding the deep bite on Liam’s shoulder. Her brother had gotten the bite during the scuffle when the wall had fallen and they had been overrun for a short time. This was her first time looking over it since the incident, and she could see the bite beginning to grow infected. “So no one has noticed it?”

“No, not yet. It's gonna be fine." Liam assured her, wincing as she cleaned the wound, slicing away some of the infected flesh.

“How are you feeling?” She asked handing him two pain killers and a glass of water.

Liam took the water and tablets, downing both quickly. "Not great."

“You need to be more careful.” She chastised, stroking his hair gently before grabbing a needle and thread.

"I know." He sighed heavily, glancing over his shoulder as she stitched the wound before beginning to bandage it.

“Try not to pull the stitches.” She told him, strapping down the bandage and handing him back his shirt.

"I'll do my best." He promised her, tugging his shirt over his head and running a hand through his hair.

Tammy kissed the top of his head before moving over to the sink to wash her hands. “I don’t wanna lose you too, little brother.”

"You won't. You know that." He assured her, getting to his feet and kissing her cheek as she dried her hands.

“Sometimes I wonder. Be gone with you. I have people I want to see.” Tammy shook her head before shoving him lightly towards the door, but Liam stopped in the doorway, acting hurt as she ushered him from the room. “Don’t give me that look you nuisance.”

"But the most attractive nuisance in Alexandria." He winked at her, walking out onto the veranda of their house.

Tammy rolled her eyes, leaning in the doorway. “You feeling up to making yourself useful?”

Liam shrugged, wincing at the pain that shot through his body at the movement. "Yeah. Why?"

“Because they need help after all the shit that happened. So go be useful.” She ordered him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Besides, I wanna go spend some time with other people. Socialise a little.”

"Like Daryl?" He winked at her suggestively, knowing exactly who she wanted to spend more time with. Since Rick and the others had arrived, Tammy had taken a liking to Daryl. Liam had no clue as to why, but he thought it was rather endearing to see his sister infatuated. "You're so into him."

* * *

Negan had to admit that if he’d had to bet on any of his wives having an adventure, it’d be Resa. All of Negan’s wives were different, but the petite blonde was definitely the most daring of the bunch. He strode into her room with his hands in his pockets, whistling a merry tune to himself. The blonde was pacing, but she stopped when he entered.

“Resa.” He let his eyes roam over her frame. Rebellious  _ and _ hot. She was a small woman, but she did have nice tits. “How was your little wander? You’re not cheating, are you?”

“No.” She shook her head vigorously. Like the rest of the wives, Resa knew that it went against Negan’s rules. “I went to Hilltop.”

“Excuse me?” Negan frowned. He knew that Simon had caught Resa outside of the Sanctuary, but he hadn’t been aware that she’d gotten so far undiscovered. “How in the hell did you get there?”

Resa shrugged nonchalantly. “Got in a truck.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Negan had to admit that the woman was resourceful. He did like a tough girl, and he hadn’t anticipated that Resa would be able to sneak out of the Sanctuary and get all the way to Hilltop. Her boldness was definitely a turn-on.

“I can’t tell if you’re pissed or impressed,” Resa said wryly.

“Both, darlin’.” Negan backed her into a corner, watching as she bit her lip. “You’ve just lost the freedom to roam as you please. Don’t give me a reason to hurt you, Resa.”

Her smile was sweet as sugar. “I’d never do that.”

“Now, who dragged you back here?” Negan placed his arms either side of her head, effectively pinning her. He revelled in the power he held over her, how suddenly the daring wife was so demure.

“Simon. Why?”

“He and I are gonna have a little chat.” Negan wasn’t happy that Simon hadn’t cottoned on to the fact that Resa had been in the truck in the first place. Usually the guy did pretty well keeping things in order, but he could have lost Negan a wife. He was a little astonished when Resa kissed him, yet he sure wasn’t complaining. When she drew back, she was smiling.

“Come see me tonight. I’ll make it worth your while, trust me.”

“This coz you feel bad?” Negan knew it was. She didn’t want to risk being put back in the points system. He knew Resa well enough to realise she’d put out for him to stay in his favour. Again, he wasn’t complaining.

She nodded. “I wanna make it up to you. You won’t regret it.”

“I better not,” Negan teased, although he highly doubted it. The blonde was one of the more enthusiastic of his wives in the bedroom, something he sure appreciated. Besides, what man would say no to some hot apology sex?

“You know I can be fun,” Resa said.

“You sure are a little spitfire in bed,” he stated, causing a smirk to tug at the corners of her lips. He pulled her close against him, kissing her again. When he drew back, he tipped her a wink. “I’ll see you tonight.”

* * *

Tammy raked a hand through her hair as she wandered across the street to one of the watch towers. She had a container of soup in one hand, making it awkward for her to tug her jacket tighter around herself. She made her way up the watch tower, wandering over to Daryl and sitting down beside him, offering him the container she had been holding. Liam, had informed her that he was on watch, and she knew that he didn’t take self care very seriously.

“I know you don’t usually eat on watch, but it’s cold and the soup is warm.” She smiled, glad that he took it from her rather than rejecting the offer.

"Thanks." He offered a small smile, watching as she crossed her legs and made herself comfortable beside him. "How's Liam?"

“Healing up fine. His little man flu should be gone in a day or two.” She grinned at him, nibbling on some of her bread as Daryl snickered beside her. “It’s so peaceful tonight.”

Daryl shrugged, shovelling his food down. "I don't like it."

“Sometimes it’s nice.” Tammy mused, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she felt the temperature dropping further.

"Yeah, but bad shit always happens after." He grumbled, finishing off the soup in the container and placing the container on his other side.

“Maybe not this time.” She suggested with a half smile. There was no point in always thinking of the negatives, that was just going make you not realise the small joys in life.

"You're real optimistic." Daryl noted, glancing down at her hand as it came to rest on his shoulder.

Tammy shrugged, as if it was easy for her to forget all of the bad things going on around them. “Sometimes you have to be.”

"Why's that?" Daryl was curious now. It was hard for anyone to see anything but loss and anger in this world, so he didn’t see how she found it so easy to look on the brighter side of things. ”What do you think of? To keep you feelin' all warm and fuzzy and shit?"

“My family. The families people here have created for each other. What’s the point of surviving if you don’t try and actually live?” She had often thought that was no good left in the world, but ending up in Alexandria had taught her otherwise. She had lost a lot, and so had many other people, but they were still working to build a life for themselves. “Maggie told me about your brother. I’m sorry you had to do that.”

"Shit happens. World isn't fair." Daryl grunted, and Tammy got the hint that he didn’t want to discuss it further with her.

She rested her hand over his, squeezing gently in a comforting manner. “I know you’re not good at it, but I’m always happy to listen if you need to talk.”

“Maybe you should've been a psych." He grinned at her, although he didn’t pull his hand from hers.

“Not enough gore involved. There’s something rather beautiful about cutting open someone’s chest and seeing their beating heart.” She reminisced. She had enjoyed her job immensely, and had found it interesting. Every day was so different.

"You saved a lot?" He had never really asked her about her profession before.

Tammy sighed heavily. “Saved a few, lost a few. You get used to it.”

"In this world, yeah." He agreed, glancing at her as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. "You okay?"

“It’s just a bit cold.” She smiled. She was a sook when it came to the cold. She much preferred summer over winter, whereas her brother didn’t seem phased by the weather ever.

Daryl hesitated for a moment before wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him to offer some of his body heat. "It is cold out."

“At least we have houses to hide in. When watch is over, of course.” Tammy pointed out, happily snuggling up against him.

* * *

Resa always took a hot shower after Negan finished having sex with her. Although she agreed to it, for some reason she always felt dirty afterwards. It wasn’t even particularly bad sex, although it also wasn’t the best she’d ever had. She just felt like sex was what she exchanged for Negan’s protection and her staying out of the points system. The points system was harsh and brutal, and although Resa had been naïve when she’d agreed to become Negan’s wife, she knew she still wouldn’t survive it.

Resa scrubbed furiously at the hickeys on her neck with the damp cloth, tilting her head back to rinse the suds from her hair. Negan was satisfied with her, and that meant she would surely be able to make her escape to Hilltop. She didn’t think she’d have to sleep with someone she had no interest in just to survive there. The thought of Paul finding out about her and Negan made her feel gross again and she swallowed the lump in her throat, setting the damp cloth down and turning off the water.

Resa stepped out of the shower, wrapping her towel around her and frowning into the bedroom at the black dress and heels she’d dumped on the bed. It made her all the more certain that she and the other women were some kind of fantasy for Negan. The tiny black dresses and heels weren’t practical in the slightest, but Negan’s wives never saw the outside world. Resa’s dresses were usually on the low-cut side, mainly because she had relatively big boobs and Negan liked it when she showed cleavage.

Resa kept firmly reminding herself that she’d done this to survive, but it didn’t make her feel any less like a cheap slut. Although he might enjoy her feistiness, Resa knew Negan’s real interest was in her body. It made her wonder if, with the world having ended and all, that was her only worth now. She’d been a mechanic before all of this, she’d been  _ useful _ . She wanted to be worth something and useful again, and the only way she could see that happening was for her to go to her brother.

“Resa, baby.” Negan was sprawled on the bed with a blanket over the lower half of his bed. She’d hoped that her shower had been long enough that he’d have left, but the hungry gleam in his eyes as he looked her up and down made her sure he was looking to go for round 2. Forcing a smile, she sat down on the bed in her towel, raking her fingers through her wet hair.

What would it even be like to be in a normal, healthy relationship? Resa had dated several guys and girls before the world had gone to hell, but she’d never had a proper relationship before. She’d only been twenty-one when it had all gone to shit and since then, the only thing she’d known had been Negan. She might not know what a real relationship was like, but she did know that whatever it was between her and Negan, it was not healthy if it made her feel so gross all the time.

Negan wrapped his arms around her from behind, undoing her towel and groping at her breasts. Resa couldn’t help but gasp, and he must have thought it was a noise of pleasure because he chuckled. His lips found her neck and she restrained a sigh, knowing she was going to feel the need to wash all over again once he was done. She didn’t stop him. She never did.

* * *

"You feeling better?" Maggie asked Liam as he took one of the wooden beams she was struggling with from her arms.

"It has its moments." Liam smiled as he dropped the beam, running a hand through his hair and taking a moment to catch his breath. He wasn’t used to feeling so worn out, after all the Navy had meant he was a pretty active and fit person.

"Good, glad to see you back on your feet." She grinned at him, frowning when his chuckle turned into a cough, which only seemed to grow more violent. "You alright? Liam?"

"Ah, shit!” Maggie heard Tammy exclaim before the elder of the two siblings was kneeling beside her where Liam had collapsed on the ground, coughs wracking through his entire frame. Tammy rolled him onto his side as the coughing stopped, her hand placed in front of his mouth and nose to feel for his breathing. "Liam?" 

Tammy moved her hand in time for Liam to vomit suddenly, the bile mixed with the distinct colour of blood. "Shit. Is he okay?"

Tammy wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders, using all of her strength to tug him to his feet. She couldn’t leave him outside on the ground while he was this sick. "I need take him to the infirmary." 

"This contagious?" Rick questioned as he moved to help her, gesturing for Daryl to take Liam’s other arm as he saw Tammy struggling.

"I'll have to examine him to know." Tammy informed him, though she knew full well that Liam was not contagious and no one in his vicinity was going to get what he had.

Daryl helped set Liam down on the first bed they saw in the infirmary as Tammy sung the door open, grabbing a pair of gloves immediately. "He sick or something?"

"Something like that." She muttered in answer as she began to check him over, her fingers running over his shivering form. It was worrying her that it was taking him so long to get over the infection, though she knew it varied at times as to how long it took for it to get out of their systems.

Daryl watched her, keeping out of her way as she moved about the small room. "Need me to help?"

"Help me get his shirt off." She told him, tugging the hem of Liam’s shirt up as Daryl lifted his torso off of the bed.

"I'm gonna go help Maggie clean up. Keep me updated." Rick informed the other two, shutting the door as he walked back outside. There was no use for him in the small room and he knew Daryl was likely to get kicked out soon as well. Tammy enjoyed her own space when she was working, and disliked having people hovering over her shoulders.

Tammy reached for her brother’s shoulder, tugging the dressing off slightly to examine the feet bite beneath it. She could see the flesh where it had begun to grow infected, and it worried her. "Dammit." 

"What's up? What's he got?" Daryl questioned, staying back as Tammy tugged the bandage off, grabbing a bottle of antiseptic and some wipes.

"He got cut. It's infected." She explained to him, wiping at the bite before beginning to pull the stitches out, thankful that Liam had passed out. Daryl shifted so he could look over her shoulder, frowning as he examined the ‘cut’. "You're getting in the way." 

"This don't look like a cut." Daryl stepped back, reaching for his knife. "That's a fucking bite."

Tammy felt her whole body tense, letting out a deep breath before turning to face Daryl. "It'll heal." 

"Tammy. It's a bite. You know what happens." He argued, trying to get a grasp of the situation that was playing out in front of him.

"He's been bitten before." She reasoned, beginning to stitch up the bite again. "He's been bitten before. He gets sick and gets better. I don't know why, it just happens." 

"So you're saying he's immune?" Daryl shook his head. They were yet to meet anyone who didn’t turn once they were bitten. According to Rick everyone was infected anyway, it was just dormant until bitten or you died. He didn’t know how much truth there was to it, but he had never seen someone survive before.

Tammy finished stitching the bite before grabbing Liam’s forearm, turning it so that Daryl could see the scar from a previous bite. “Yes." 

"Holy shit." Daryl let out a deep breath, trying to think over everything that had just happened in the last five minutes.

"Please, just don't tell anyone." Tammy pleaded with him, taking her gloves off and disposing of them.

"Why haven't you said anything about this?" He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as she washed her hands.

"Why would we?" She bit back, turning back to face him. They had their reasons for keeping it secret, the main one being the fear that people wouldn’t believe them and would kill them if they were bitten. "We don't have the resources to figure out why. Besides, not everyone is open minded about it." 

“You as well?" He asked, wondering if it ran in the family. Tammy just nodded in answer as she threw a blanket over Liam as he shifted restlessly. "So what happens when you get bit? Just getting sick?"

"For a day or two. Then slowly get better. It's how our body fights the infection." She explained to him, stroking her brother’s hair back as he fell back into a deep sleep. "You're going to tell Rick, aren't you." 

"Most people don't come back, Tammy. It’s something he should know." He reasoned with her, watching as she continued to run her fingers through her brother’s hair tenderly. "You're real protective of him."

“He’s my baby brother.” She sighed, glancing at him when she felt him rest a hand on her arm gently.

"He'll be okay."


	3. Chance Encounters

**Warnings: none**

Resa was lucky that she had a good sense of direction and the ability to hotwire a car. It hadn’t been easy to slip out of the Sanctuary – especially with Negan watching her like a hawk – but she’d managed to sneak past the gates during the guard change. Once she’d found a car, she’d hotwired it and sped off in the direction of Hilltop. The damn thing had carked it a few miles out, but she’d walked the rest of the way and dug under a gap in the fence. They weren’t just going to let her in, of that she was certain.

She was exploring the grounds – and attempting to keep a low profile while doing so – when she noticed Paul. Pausing momentarily, Resa was overcome by the same feeling of joy she’d experienced the first time she saw him and she ran over to fling her arms around him. Paul was surprised, before he realised who the blonde was and hugged back.

“I’m back for good,” she informed him. Paul stepped back and held his sister at arm’s length, inspecting her.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head vigorously. “No.”

“Hungry?” Paul asked, examining the black dress and unsupportive shoes Resa was wearing. The blonde nodded emphatically and offered her a smile. “Let’s get you some food and warm clothes.”

Resa followed her brother into his trailer, sitting down and tapping her fingers against her thighs. She had to admit that she was a bit anxious about suddenly deciding to join a new community. The Hilltop were aware of Negan, they traded with him. She couldn’t tell how they’d react to one of Negan’s wives having escaped him and seeking refuge with them. She didn’t know much about their leader, Gregory, but she’d heard he was an asshole.

Paul was sifting through the cupboards, grabbing out some cans of beans. Resa accepted a can and a spoon with a strained smile. It reminded her of their childhood, and how many times they’d had to make do with whatever was there. Scraping by and having the bare minimum wasn’t a new concept to either of the Rovia siblings.

“What was it like there?” he asked, sitting across from her.

“It works on a points system.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know it, I wasn’t part of that system. I was different.”

Paul’s brow furrowed. “How so?”

“Do you know much about Negan?” Resa asked. She was never sure how much the other colonies knew about the Sanctuary.

“Only that we give the supplies so they don’t kill us all.”

“He had several wives.” Resa busied herself picking at the hem of her dress, not wanting to meet Paul’s eyes. “Not actually married to him, but that’s what we were called.”

“You were one of them?” Paul phrased it like a question, but they both already knew the answer before Resa nodded hesitantly. “Did he ever hurt you?”

“He never hit me or anything like that, no,” Resa stated, taking a spoonful of the canned beans. “I did what I had to. I’m a survivor. We’ve always been survivors.”

“You’re safe now,” Paul assured her gently, reaching out to touch her arm. She couldn’t help but smile at his warmth. He had always looked out for her, ever since she’d been small. Resa couldn’t be gladder that they’d stumbled upon each other again, even in a world gone to hell.

“I always am with you.”

“Come on.” Paul got to his feet. “Let’s get you some better clothes.”

* * *

Tammy looked up as she heard the infirmary door swing open, smiling slightly as she watched Daryl walk in with a small bowl, his hair as messy as ever. "Got food."

"Thanks." She took the bowl from him, glancing over at her brother who was still unconscious on the bed. She knew it’d be another day or so before he would be coherent again.

Daryl followed her line of sight, sitting down on one of the free beds they’d set up. "How's he doing?"

"Breathing is better." She sighed heavily as she sat beside him, picking at the food he had brought her. It had been at least half a day since she had eaten, but she hadn’t really thought about her hunger.

"For a big dude he looks real fragile." Daryl commented, having only ever seen Liam in action or running around the small town. He’d never seen him phased by an injury, and had definitely never seen him vulnerable.

Tammy shrugged, placing the bowl on the table beside them. "You would too if you were in his position." 

"Nah I'd be dead." He grunted, fiddling with his hands in his lap.

Tammy flinched at the words, staring down at the floor. Sometimes she regretted her and Liam’s immunity. Everyone around her suffered through so much pain of losing people, and sometimes themselves, and she and Liam were always fine. They always rebounded. "Sorry."

Daryl frowned at her words, resting a hand on her arm as she got to her feet. "Why you sorry?"

"Liam and I got lucky. A lot of people don't come back, and I don't doubt people hate us for being able to." She mused, busying herself with tidying up some of her instruments.

Daryl pulled her away from the table, turning her to face him. "I don't hate you."

Tammy allowed a small smile as she looked up at him, very aware of how close he had pulled her. "Thanks." 

“You've helped a lot of us." He reminded her, rubbing her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

She sighed in defeat, knowing there was no point arguing otherwise. She couldn’t help that she was immune, for whatever reason it was, and she also knew she’d be working on a cure if they had the resources to do so. "I like helping people."

"It's cute." Daryl tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, allowing himself the small gesture of affection.

"So I've been told. Maggie often refers to me as cute." She laughed, drawing away from him to check over her brother again.

"Can see why." Daryl muttered under his breath, mentally cussing when he realised that she had heard him.

"What do you mean? You calling me cute as well?" She grinned at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Maybe I am."

* * *

Resa examined the newcomers to Hilltop with a thoughtful expression. She supposed it was a bit hypocritical to call them that, since she was new herself. They weren’t from the Sanctuary though, which meant there was another community out there. She couldn’t help but find her attention drawn to a man maybe a few years older than her. He was good-looking and muscular, and probably six and a half feet tall. Resa couldn’t help but rake her eyes over him. He noticed and winked at her.

“Hey there.”

He smiled. “I’m Liam.”

“Resa,” she responded, holding out her hand for him to shake. She’d met a heap of new people over the past few days and she was just getting used to it. In the Sanctuary, she’d known everyone, but she was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. It made it difficult for her to get comfortable, despite Paul’s calming presence.

“Shouldn’t you be with your people?” Paul demanded, gesturing toward Barrington House where the others were in conversation with Gregory. His uncharacteristically abrupt attitude made Resa step forward and place a gentle hand on her brother’s shoulder.

“Hey, he’s just having a wander, he’s okay.”

“Promise I won’t bite,” Liam joked with a grin. Paul narrowed his eyes, causing his younger sister to nudge him. She wondered if Paul’s protectiveness was because he knew she’d gone through hell with Negan.

“Lighten up.”

“Wanna show me around more?” Liam’s words were clearly directed at Resa, who offered him a bright smile. Of course, she wasn’t stupid enough to trust this guy right off the bat, particularly after everything she’d been through. But that wasn’t going to stop her from flirting with a hot guy.

“Sure.” She nodded, giving Paul one last meaningful look before heading around the Hilltop with Liam in tow. “I’m kinda new too, but I’ll do my best.”

“It’s nice here.” Liam craned his neck to take everything in. Resa couldn’t help but nod in agreement. She’d only been there for a few days, but it was very different from the Sanctuary. The environment was a lot more pleasant, and although she didn’t much like Gregory, he wasn’t as much of a tyrant as Negan was.

“It is. I’m not used to how peaceful it is.”

“You seem tense,” Liam noted as Resa raked her fingers through her blonde hair. He reached out to touch her arm, but she stepped away from him. He raised his eyebrows, apparently surprised by her reaction. “Relax a bit.”

“Easier said than done,” Resa murmured, scowling at this newcomer trying to tell her to relax. Who did he think he was? Sure, he was hot, but he didn’t know the first thing about her. “It’s better to be alert.”

“I should go find my sibling,” Liam stated, causing the blonde to lightly shrug her shoulders before nodding.

“Nice meeting you.”

* * *

Daryl glanced at Tammy as she yawned loudly, raking a hand through her short hair as she looked around Hilltop. "Bored or tired?"

"Both." She admitted, heading towards the fence line as Rick and Maggie disappeared into the large house. She didn’t much care for the politics. She was a doctor, not a politician.

Daryl trod after her, keeping a tight grip on his crossbow as he did. "Know what they're talking about?"

“Striking some kind of deal. We need more food, and they have food." Tammy shrugged. It was why they had come to Hilltop, and while they needed to, she felt uncomfortable being surrounded by new people.

"Right." Daryl nodded, stopping behind her as she paused in her walking to take in more of the place. He could see the tension in her shoulders as she looked about, not to mention how jumpy she seemed in the new place. "You seem tense."

“Can't help it." She sighed heavily, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Don't trust them?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow at her.

She shook her head, directing the question back at him. "Do you?"

"Nah." Trusting new people blindly was a mistake they’d made once before, and they weren’t willing to make it again. Tammy reached across to take his free hand in her own, her hands soft and warm against his calloused ones. The gesture shocked him slightly, but he didn’t draw away. "Where'd Liam go?"

"Off with Jesus." It was strange for him to see the two of them parted, but he supposed the other man was more open to exploring than his sister was. "I might head back to the car."

"Want me to come with?" He asked, tracing his thumb over the back of her hand.

Tammy nodded, moving towards their car, Daryl walking beside her. She was surprised he kept his hand connected with hers, but she wasn’t complaining at the display of affection. "Is it bad I feel safer with you around?" 

"Nope." He chuckled, a small smile forming on his lips as she kissed his cheek.

"Is that a smile I see," She teased as they reached the car, spinning to face him as she leant against the door.

"Maybe a little one." He admitted, allowing himself to share another smile with her before drawing his hand back and moving back into a position which allowed him to be ready for a fight if there was one.

* * *

Paul shifted around impatiently as Resa’s slim fingers worked at braiding his hair. It was an activity that was so familiar, as she’d done it often as a child. It was strange, the realisation that he had his baby sister back in his life. He thought he’d lost her when everything had gone to hell, and yet here she was.

“Oh, relax,” Resa sighed.

“Must you?” Paul asked, but there was a light teasing note in his voice. He was enjoying spending time with Resa, even if Gregory was still averse to her presence in the community and was still deciding how he felt about her being there.

“You have such silky hair.” Resa finished the braid, moving around to sit in front of her brother. “Tell me about the group from Alexandria. What were they doing here? I know you guys have a deal with Negan.”

“They need our help with food.”

Resa let out a low whistle. “That’s risky. I don’t blame you though.”

“They’re gonna help us get rid of him.” The Hilltop had been under Negan’s thumb for some time now, and Paul was pleased that they were actually getting some help with the situation. He knew that Gregory didn’t want to stir up any trouble, but things were getting more difficult for their community by the day.

“Good,” Resa said with vehement satisfaction.

“You were eyeing off Liam,” Paul pointed out. It hadn’t escaped his notice that his sister had been flirting with the big guy, although he couldn’t say he blamed her.

“He’s hot, even you can’t deny that.” She grinned, tossing back her blonde hair. “Know much about him?”

“Not really.” Paul shrugged, only having heard a couple of facts about Liam during his conversations with the others. “He was Navy before the world went to shit.”

Resa’s expression was thoughtful. “That explains it.”

“What?” Paul raised his eyebrows. “The muscles? Or the brooding expression.”

“The fact that he looks like a Greek god, Paul,” she responded wryly, making him laugh. It wasn’t an entirely incorrect assessment. “Why’s that funny?”

“It’s the truth.” Paul had noticed that Liam seemed likewise interested in Resa. The big guy had been obviously hitting on Resa during the time he’d been at the Hilltop. “He was totally eyeing you off. I would say go for it, but as your brother, don’t go for it.”

Resa’s expression was sly. “Oh, I’m going there.”

Paul pulled a face. “You don’t know where it’s been.”

“Are you judging people based on their sex lives?” Resa teased.

“Of course I am.” Paul regretted his words once he saw her bite her lip and stare at the ground, remembering what she’d done to survive and realising he’d unintentionally hurt her. “I’m joking, Resa.”

“Do you judge me?” she asked softly, suddenly vulnerable, meeting his gaze with troubled blue eyes.

“I’d never judge you,” Paul assured her, putting his arm around her shoulders and rubbing her arm. He felt guilty for making her upset, knowing he’d hit a sore spot with her. Resa had always been tough, and he didn’t think any less of her for what she’d had to do to survive.

* * *

“Liam, I’m with a patient.” Tammy glanced sideways at Liam as he wandered into the room whistling.

Liam rolled his eyes at his sister, sitting down in one of the corner chairs and watching as she continued to examine Carl. "Did I come in screaming for aid? No."

Tammy ignored her brother as she gently removed the bandage from Carl’s eye before setting it aside so she could clean the wound. Carl winced as she gently dabbed around the area, and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the boy. “Sorry, honey. It looks like it’s healing well.”

“It feels better.” Carl admitted to her, watching her closely as she worked.

“Good. I am glad.” She smiled at him, glancing over at Liam as she moved to get a new bandage. “I saw you flirting with the girl, Liam. Please be careful.”

"Why? What's wrong with flirting?" Liam frowned, annoyed that he was having to defend himself.

“Don’t hurt her feelings and risk our deal.” She reminded him, knowing what he was like with women.

"I wouldn't dare. I was just flirting." He assured her with a grin that could rival the Cheshire Cat’s.

“Flirting is bad." Tammy finished dressing Carl’s eye, winking at the boy and handing him a lolly. “You’re good to go, Carl.”

"Thanks, Tammy." Carl smiled, pushing himself to his feet and walking out of the room.

Tammy waited for Carl to leave the room before she turned to her brother, narrowing her eyes at him. “You should actively do something other than just flirt. Maybe get to know her before trying to get in her pants.”

Liam rolled his eyes, stretching back in the chair. "Like?"

“Talk to her. Civilly. Getting to know people is a good thing." She answered, washing her hands and cleaning up her work space. “Get out of my surgery, you brute. Why are you such an ass all the time?”

Liam trailed out at her request, glancing over his shoulder as she followed him out, shutting the door behind her. "Only 90% of the time."

“Well, I can’t babysit you all day. I’m going to go find my friends.” Tammy sighed heavily. She had given Liam advice before and it had fallen on deaf ears. She couldn’t be bothered wasting her breath on him further.

"You have those." Liam feigned shock, wincing when she pinched his arm.

“More of them than you have.” She quipped, poking him as he pulled a face at her. “Besides, I think I’m finally getting somewhere with Daryl.”

"He's said more than two words?" He teased, following her onto their porch.

Tammy winked at him as she wandered onto the street, turning back to face him. “Sure has. Got a whole conversation out of him.’

"Oh wow. How'd you manage that?" He smirked at her, crossing his arms over his chest as he leant against the porch.

She rolled her eyes at him, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “By being nice.”


	4. Unusual Arrangements

**Warnings: none**

Despite having been at the Hilltop community for a matter of weeks, Resa was yet to be introduced to its leader, Gregory. Paul had kept her low-profile, not wanting to draw attention to the sister who’d showed up out of nowhere, particularly as Paul was a fundamental member of the community. One afternoon, he arranged a meeting with Gregory, which was how Resa found herself walking into Barrington House with a feeling of unease.

“Ah. Jesus. Teresa.”

Gregory was a grey-haired man in his late fifties or early sixties, and Resa already didn’t like him based on the fact that he’d called her ‘Teresa’. No one ever used her full name. She was already getting the vibe that he was pretty self-important, but if she wanted to stay, she needed to keep her mouth shut.

“Everyone calls you Jesus.” She smirked at her brother. The nickname was new to her, but she was intending to utilise it to tease him. “That’s gonna take some getting used to.”

“Sit down, please.” Gregory gestured to the couch, and the Rovia siblings both sat down. Resa fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. They’d already agreed that it was best to let her brother do most of the talking.

“Resa’s come from the Sanctuary.” Paul spoke first, indicating Resa. “She’s joining us.”

Gregory shook his head vehemently. “She can’t.”

Resa frowned. “Why not?”

“You’re one of Negan’s wives.” Gregory turned his attention on her, fear in his eyes. “If he finds out you are here, we are all dead.”

She shrugged. “He’s not gonna miss me. He’s got plenty of wives.”

“He will. You’re his.”

She had to admit, begrudgingly, that he was right. Negan wasn’t the sort to give something up so lightly. He would have his men searching for Resa until she was found and dragged back to the Sanctuary. That was why she needed a place to go, a stable community that she could call home.

“Well, I don’t want to be there with him. I want to be here with my brother.”

“No.” Gregory frowned. She knew he was a stubborn old man, but she was stubborn as well, and intent on staying with her brother now that she’d finally found him. “It’s too dangerous for us to have you here.”

Paul frowned. “Hey, she’ll be fine.”

Gregory turned to look at him. “Jesus, I need to keep my people safe.”

“I’m not a danger,” Resa insisted. She didn’t get what the big deal was. Sure, maybe she was one of Negan’s favourites, but he had other wives. She wasn’t worth a whole heap of trouble, even if Negan believed she might be.

“You being here is a danger,” Gregory pointed out.

Resa felt genuine fear at the idea of going back to Negan. He’d take her back, sure – but she didn’t want to know what it would cost her. She couldn’t go back into the points system, because it would literally kill her. Even as his wife…she didn’t want to think about it.

“You can’t make me go back there.”

“You aren’t staying here.” Gregory’s brow furrowed at the way her voice trembled, but it was clear that his fear of Negan overrode any choice that might keep her safe. Her temper flared and she leaned forward, ignoring Paul’s restraining hand.

“I’m not Negan’s possession!” Resa exclaimed. She was sick of that being all she was seen for – being Negan’s wife. She was so much more than that, and wanted the chance to prove that even after several years, she was able to help within the community. Unfortunately, Gregory stood his ground.

“In his mind, you are.”

“Gregory, she’s not going back,” Paul said firmly. His protective big brother instincts seemed to have kicked in, and Resa knew that her brother wasn’t going to let her be carted off back to the Sanctuary.

Gregory waved a dismissive hand. “Then take her elsewhere.”

“I’m staying with my brother,” Resa snapped.

He scowled. “Then you can both leave.”

“We could expose your deal with Alexandria,” Paul threatened, his words causing Gregory’s eyes to widen in fear. The last thing he’d need was for Negan to know that another community had been recruited to try and take him out.

“You know we need them to do what we can’t.”

“I’m a mechanic,” Resa said, desperate to find any opportunity to avoid the Sanctuary, “I can be useful around here. Please, let me stay.”

“On one condition.” Gregory sighed, looking at Paul. By the slump of his shoulders, he was relenting. “You take her to Alexandria when Negan comes to collect what we owe them.”

He nodded slowly. “I can do that.”

“Why are you so scared of him?” Resa demanded. She knew she should just be grateful for Gregory’s decision, but even she had stood up to Negan once or twice. She knew it was terrifying, but Gregory had a whole community to back him.

“Resa,” her brother muttered.

“He could destroy everything we have built.” Gregory wasn’t thrilled at being questioned, judging by the terse expression on his face. “We can’t fight him, we don’t know how to.”

“You could learn,” Resa suggested.

He shook his head. “No, we can’t. These people are farmers. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks for letting me stay,” Resa said. She should see that there was no getting through to this man, no convincing him to fight back. She had to pick her battles. She’d won the first – the ability to stay in Hilltop, even if it meant getting smuggled out when Negan’s followers came to collect their cut.

Gregory didn’t appear impressed. “Don’t give me a reason to take my decision back.”

* * *

“Here comes trouble.” Rick commented to Daryl as he noticed Tammy walking over to them, her usually cheery smile plastered to her face. He had noticed the two spending more time together as of late, although he wasn’t as teasing to either of them as Maggie had been. Daryl gave him a questioning look, to which he shook his head. “Tammy.”

“Morning.” The doctor greeted the two of them cheerily. She was usually in a good mood, unless Liam had influenced it otherwise.

Rick smiled in response to her greeting before turning back to his friend. He didn’t feel like dealing with Tammy’s overly happy mood. Sometimes she was just a bit too much. “I’m gonna go find Carl. I’ll see you both later.”

“How’s the shoulder?” Tammy inquired after Rick walked off, gesturing for Daryl to follow as she began to do her morning rounds of Alexandria. She usually wandered around, checking in on people if needed. It wasn’t the same as being in a hospital, but it gave her a sense of normalcy.

Daryl glanced down at it, moving it slightly. It hadn’t been causing him any issues recently. "Feelin' a lot better."

“That’s good to hear. Means I’m doing my job properly.” She grinned, earning a small chuckle from him. He trailed after her as she wandered over to the small bridge that was across their small lake.

Daryl watched as she pulled her hair over her shoulder, twirling it around her finger as she watched the water. "You okay?’

“Just thinking about everything.” She sighed heavily. So much had been happening lately, and while she tried to stay out of most of it, sometimes it couldn’t be helped. “I heard Rick saying he’s going to kill someone for Gregory. Are you in on it?”

Daryl crossed his arms over his chest. "Might be. Why?"

“It isn’t right. We shouldn’t be killing people.” She shook her head. She understood that the world had changed, but she still hoped killing wouldn’t always been the option. “We should be working together to fight the bigger enemy.”

"What if these people are the bigger enemy?" He suggested, leaning his back against the rail.

“You really believe that.” Tammy glanced at him, watching as he shrugged in response. “I don’t want to see any more of my friends killed.”

Daryl nodded in understanding. He’d seen a lot of his friends die, and he wasn’t wanting to lose anymore. "I get that."

Tammy shifted slightly, resting her hand on his arm, pressing her lips to his. Daryl paused for a moment before reacting, sliding an arm around her waist to pull her closer. Tammy shifted slightly so her arms were around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair. It was Daryl who drew back first, raising an eyebrow at the woman who was currently in his arms.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” Tammy mumbled, raking a hand through her hair as her cheeks burned red.

"It's cool." He assured her, resting his hand on her arm.

“I um… I should go.” Tammy shook her head before brushing past him, mumbling to herself. She hadn’t expected to do that, and had no doubt in her mind that it was going to make things awkward.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Negan’s supply run to head to Hilltop, and therefore for Resa to head to Alexandria with her big brother. She still didn’t trust other people enough to go on her own, however she did enjoy wandering around the place, getting some fresh air and having some personal space. In the past month, she’d discovered two communities she barely knew existed.

She noticed the hot guy running around the place – Liam, that was his name. He slowed down when he approached her, and there was curiosity in his hazel eyes. It was obvious to Resa that he was wondering what she was doing in Alexandria.

“Hey.”

“Hey there.” She raised her eyebrows. “What’s the rush?”

“Nothing.” He raked a hand through his hair, and she tried to ignore how muscular his arms were. “I was just getting in some exercise and saw you.”

She nodded slowly. “What’s up?”

“Not much.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “What are you doing here? Not that I mind.”

“Paul…I mean, Jesus brought me.” Resa was still getting used to the fact that most people referred to her brother by his nickname. She would always call him Paul, but some blank looks at Hilltop said that some people didn’t even know that was his real name.

“Cute.” Liam examined her. “Just a visit?”

“Yeah, I kinda have to be here.” Resa didn’t expand on the statement and to her relief, Liam didn’t ask.

“Want some food?”

“Sure.”

Liam led her through Alexandria back to the house that must belong to him. All of the houses here were nice, a lot bigger than they were in Hilltop. Not that Resa minded – anything was better than the factories and warehouses of the Sanctuary. They headed into the kitchen and he removed some soup from the cupboard, putting it in two bowls and microwaving it before handing one of the steaming bowls to Resa.

“Thanks.” She took a spoonful. It tasted like pea and ham.

“Here for long?” Liam asked.

“Until my brother gets told it’s okay to bring me back.” Resa swung her legs as she sat up on the bench, slurping at the soup.

“Well, you’re welcome to sleep here. We’ve got a few spare beds, we use this place as an infirmary.”

Resa nodded, watching as Liam scratched at his shoulder. She vaguely remembered him being injured when he’d visited Hilltop.

“Still not healed?”

“Getting there.” Liam nodded. “It was pretty deep and my sister hasn’t taken the stitches out yet.”

Resa couldn’t help but look him up and down, although she turned her attention back on her soup when Liam glanced at her. She didn’t think he minded women checking him out, but something told her that he was very used to that kind of attention. The last thing he needed to do was develop an ego.

“I know it isn’t amazing.”

“It’s good.” She looked up. Even before the apocalypse, she and Paul had survived off worse when they were kids. It meant when everything had gone to hell, Resa sure hadn’t been picky as long as she was getting a meal. “Heard you were Navy before all this.”

“Sure was.” Liam tilted his head to the side. “Why do you ask?”

She shrugged. “Curious.”

“What did you do?”

“Car mechanic.” God, she missed working on cars. Ever since she’d become Negan’s wife, she hadn’t done any of that in the Sanctuary. She’d been working ridiculous hours before that, so it hadn’t been sustainable. Nonetheless, having her hands busy in a car’s bonnet was like stress relief for Resa.

Liam appeared surprised. “Really?”

She couldn’t help but grin. “I get that a lot. The disbelief.”

Even in the Sanctuary, there had been a lot of guys who didn’t believe a woman could make a good mechanic. It was the 21 st century, for crying out loud. Resa was better at fixing cars than most of them – but she knew doing what she had been before Negan had developed an interest would’ve ended up killing her.

Liam held up his hands. “No, I think it’s a great thing.”

“I couldn’t afford to go to college, and I loved cars.” Resa wasn’t ashamed – she and Paul had struggled financially for most of their lives. They certainly weren’t Ivy League or Harvard. “It worked out.”

“You enjoyed it, that’s a good thing.” Liam watched as she placed the bowl of soup down. When she went about washing it, he hovered. “Need any clothes? My sister is about your size, but taller.”

“Oh, no. I’ll be okay.” Resa examined her clothes, before arching an eyebrow at him. “That’s a quick assessment. That I’d be your sister’s size.”

A grin flashed across Liam’s face, and Resa knew instantly that he’d been checking her out, too. She remembered his older sister Tammy from Hilltop – definitely taller than Resa, and probably a bit slimmer. She’d packed enough clothes for a couple of days, and she didn’t see her brief stay in Alexandria lasting longer than that. She wondered how Gregory had gotten them to agree to housing her temporarily. Probably because she was an asset.

Resa was the only person who could tell them about Negan and the inner workings of the Sanctuary, and they knew it. Even if not everyone in Alexandria seemed willing to trust her just yet.

* * *

“I brought cookies. Carol made them." Daryl glanced over his shoulder as he heard Tammy’s familiar voice, a container in her hand.

"Thanks." Daryl shifted over so that there was room for her to sit down. "It looks so calm."

“Maybe shit is about to hit the fan." Tammy suggested, crossing her legs and making herself comfortable. “I’m sorry about the other day."

Daryl frowned at her comment, not exactly sure of what she had to apologise for. She hadn’t done anything wrong by him, except be too cheery in the morning. "What for?"

“Kissing you." She explained to him, taking a cookie from the container and shoving it in her mouth.

"Don't be." Daryl chuckled, nudging her with his shoulder when he saw her begin to blush. "I liked it."

“You did?” She questioned as she played with her hands in her lap. He nodded in answer and she chewed on her lip for a moment, considering her next words. “Reckon you could get used to it?”

"I could." He nodded, slipping an arm her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

Tammy smiled before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, resting her head on his shoulder. ‘Good. I enjoyed it.'

Daryl smiled, watching as she laced her fingers with his, snuggling into him. "Everyone's so scared of them. These Saviours."

“There must be a reason.” Tammy mused, although she had heard nothing of them until recently. She hoped that it was an over exaggeration as to how bad they were, but she also knew that this world was bringing out the worst in people.

"Yeah not a good one." Daryl murmured, glancing down at her. It wasn’t like her to become awfully quiet, but he could see the emotions running through her eyes as she looked about the place. "You're worried."

“I don’t want to see any of you hurt. You all worry me.” She told him, looking down at her arms, in particular the angry scar that had been left from a bite. “Take Liam with you. He can fight, and he listens to you and Rick. He’s getting restless just doing labour jobs around the place.”

"He's a helluva lot bigger than us, be worried if he didn't listen to us." Daryl pointed out, both of them knowing full well that Liam could have him and Rick on their asses if he tried.

“He’s not a leader, but he’s good at taking orders.” Tammy laughed. Her brother was many things, but he had never been a leader. “Our father was Navy as well. He’s been around it his whole life.”

Daryl looked down at where their fingers were intertwined, giving her hand a light squeeze. "He's lucky he's got you."

“I think it’s the other way around.” Tammy pointed out, thinking back on all the times he had saved her ass.

Daryl shook his head, pressing a small kiss to the top of her hair. "Nah. He's an idiot. He'd be dead if he didn't have you."

“Try telling him that.” She rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Liam would argue otherwise, no matter how true it was in some circumstances. They were both lucky to have each other, and she was just thankful they did in the shitty world they now lived in.

* * *

It was about a day’s walk between Alexandria and Hilltop, but Resa never minded the exercise. She found herself thrilled at the opportunity to explore new surroundings, since she’d been cooped up in the Sanctuary for the past four or so years. She and Paul had only ended up staying overnight, before she’d shaken her awake and said they’d have to head off. They weren’t alone – Tammy and Liam Sealey accompanied them, partly for protection and partly because Tammy wanted to negotiate for some medical supplies.

“Reckon Gregory is gonna be thrilled to have me back?” Resa shot her older brother a grin as they trekked down the road.

“You know he won’t be,” Paul said, but a smile played about the corners of his lips.

“Who is this guy?” Liam asked.

“Gregory?” Resa glanced at him, forgetting that Liam wasn’t as familiar with Hilltop as she was. “Leader of Hilltop.”

“Ah.” Liam turned his attention on his sister, taking in her wide yawn. “Didn’t you sleep last night?”

“Not really,” she admitted.

“Why not?” Resa asked.

Liam smirked. “She decided to hang out with her new boy toy on watch.”

“I did not,” Tammy protested.

“Daryl?” Resa asked. She had noticed the guy hanging out with Tammy a lot, and they looked to be pretty friendly. If not, then she had no idea who Liam was referring to. Judging by the way Tammy’s cheeks had gone red, her younger brother was right on the money.

“Even Resa noticed,” Liam pointed out.

“I was just keeping him company,” Tammy protested.

“It’s okay to admit it,” Resa said. It had been a long time since she’d felt that – having a crush on someone, having friends or family tease her about it. Here things felt weirdly normal. It was so different to the hierarchy within the Sanctuary.

Liam grinned. “She’s too shy.”

Tammy shook her head. “Fuck off, Liam.”

“How often do Negan’s guys come for supplies?” Resa asked of her brother, changing the subject to spare Tammy from further embarrassment. Paul’s eyes flicked skyward as he considered the question for a moment.

“Like once a month.”

“So you have to take me to Alexandria that often?” she asked. She didn’t mind Alexandria, but she could see it getting tiring having to go back and forth once a month when Negan’s goons headed around.

“Unless Gregory changes his mind, yeah.”

“Why can’t you be there?” Liam asked, causing Resa to look at him. She was overcome by a sense of discomfort. She liked Liam and Tammy, but she didn’t fully trust them yet. She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about the Sanctuary, yet what choice did she have?

“Can’t be seen by Negan’s people.”

“Why?” he persisted, and she knew there was no getting out of this one.

“You kill someone?” Tammy asked.

“Nah.” She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant even as her skin crawled with shame. “I was Negan’s wife.”

Liam looked surprised. “Oh. Wow.”

“Not his literal wife,” Resa amended quickly.

“So what? You screwed him?”

“Pretty much.” She picked at the hem of her shirt. She knew the words weren’t personal, but she couldn’t help but feel suddenly small. “It’s complicated.”

“We all gotta do shit we don’t like to survive,” Liam said, and she could tell that he knew she was uncomfortable. He wasn’t judging her for her choices, but Resa knew that only those in the Sanctuary could truly grasp why she’d made the decision she had.

“Guess so,” she murmured, before raising her voice slightly. “Hilltop provides him with food and stuff.”

“Willingly?”

“No.” For a few moments, there was a silence between them, more comfortable than when they’d been discussing her relationship with Negan. Resa even managed to flash him a charming smile. “You should stay at Hilltop tonight.”

She didn’t miss the way Paul rolled his eyes. It was obvious her brother had picked up on the attraction between her and Liam. It was practical though – otherwise Tammy and Liam would have to head back to Alexandria in the dark, which she didn’t think any of them believed was a safe idea.

“Tammy?” Liam looked to his sister. Of the two siblings, it was clear that she had the authority, and Liam listened to what she said.

“If you stay I have to.”

“I’ll make you dinner,” Resa promised. She wasn’t much of a chef in the slightest – Tanya had been an awesome cook and had usually whipped the women up something tasty. She missed Tanya’s cooking, as well as the rest of the wives. They had been the one bright spot in the darkness of the Sanctuary.

“You, cooking?” Paul sounded amused.

She nudged him in the side. “Shut up.”

“It’d be wise to stay the night,” Liam suggested, “Better than travelling back in the dark.”


	5. Immunity

**Warnings: none**

Dinner had been mediocre, but Liam hadn’t seemed to mind. Tammy and Paul had headed outside, but Liam lingered as she cleaned up the dishes. She had to admit that she was grateful for his company, even if she was still a little unsure of him. Resa’s past experiences meant that it took her a while to trust someone, and to be cautious of someone’s apparent interest in her.

“Thanks for the food,” Liam remarked.

“You’re welcome.” Resa knew she wasn’t the best cook. “I hope it was okay.”

“It was really good.” He indicated the dishes on the rack. “Need help?”

“I’m good.” Resa dried her hands on the tea towel. “You can sit, you know.”

“I like standing.” Liam leaned against the wall. She didn’t notice the fact that he was looking at her a lot. She could tell that he thought she was attractive. Once she would have been flattered, but now it made her feel slightly awkward. What did he want from her?

“Why are you watching me?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Does it bother you?”

“No.” She shook her head, leaning against the kitchen bench. “I just wonder why you do.”

“I like you.”

“Why’s that?” Those words made her suspicious. He had to have a reason for being interested in her, unless he was only interested in sex. She wouldn’t be averse to it, as long as it came with no strings attached. She could use a distraction rather than a commitment.

“Just do. You’re cute.”

“So are you.” Resa trailed cautiously over to him, having to stand up on her toes to kiss him considering he was a foot taller than her. Liam kissed back enthusiastically, putting an arm around her waist and tugging her close against him. It was different to kissing Negan, and she liked how it felt. She ran her hands down his chest, marvelling at how muscular he was.

Liam groaned against her lips, causing her to smirk. He drew back to pull his shirt over his head, but this time it was more than Liam’s muscles that caught her attention. There were what appeared to be old, healed bite marks on his skin that caught the dim light, making Resa pause.

“What?” he asked, wondering why she’d stopped.

“These.” She traced them curiously, flinching when he caught her wrist.

“Sorry.”

“Are those bites?” she questioned. What she was seeing shouldn’t be possible. These weren’t hickeys - these had been deep. These were walker bites, but they’d happened so long ago that he should have turned by now.

“I like getting raunchy during sex.”

Resa didn’t believe that. “Can I bite you? Those are deep bites. You a masochist?”

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Okay, let’s try again.” Resa folded her arms over her chest, her temper flaring. “If you lie to me, I’m walking out of this room. What are the bites from?”

Liam raked a hand through his hair. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

“They’re from the walkers.”

Resa processed the information. It was what she’d suspected, but it was different hearing the confirmation from him. 

“So...you’re immune?”

“Yeah.” He offered a grim smile. “Sounds crazy.”

“That’s...wow.” Resa wasn’t sure what to make of the information. She didn’t know of anyone who was immune. She hadn’t even believed it was possible until she’d met Liam. “Do other people know?”

“Only a couple of people.”

“Why don’t you tell people?” Resa tilted her head to the side, curious. This was the sort of information that could get a cure going. If Liam was immune to the virus, then he was the key to fixing it.

“Some would see it as a good thing, others wouldn’t.” He shrugged. “Besides, it isn’t just about me.”

“Tammy is too.” Resa caught his meaning and stepped back, examining him. “You two could mean a cure.”

“With what resources?” It was obviously something Liam had considered, because he sounded exhausted by the discussion. “If we found a functioning lab, Tammy might be able to do something, but she’s not an immunologist.”

“There must be someone who is,” Resa insisted, “Somewhere.”

“I don’t doubt it, but right now, there isn’t.” Liam took his shirt as Resa offered it back to him, pulling it over his head. He examined her with a wary expression. “Are you angry? Do I repulse you now?”

“No.” Resa frowned, unable to comprehend why he’d believe that. “Why would you repulse me?”

He gestured to his body. “The scars.”

“Everyone has them, some are just more visible than others,” Resa said softly, raking her fingers through her blonde hair and refusing to meet his eyes. She had the feeling she and Liam were done hooking up for the night. “You should get some sleep.”

* * *

“Hey." Tammy glanced over at Jesus as he joined her outside, sitting down beside her.

"Hi." Jesus smiled, pushing his hair from his face as he made himself comfortable. "You seem uneasy."

Tammy sighed heavily. It was hard to trust people and make friends these days, and she couldn’t help but not want to let her guard down in places she wasn’t familiar with. Even if the company did seem to be friendly enough. “Can’t help it these days."

Jesus nodded, knowing the feeling all too well. "Is your brother the only person you trust?"

“No, but he’s one of the few." Tammy admitted, crossing her legs and glancing around the place. It was a small community, but it seemed homely enough. “Why do you ask?”

"Just curious. It can be hard to find people to trust." Jesus spoke what she was thinking, and she nodded in agreement. "You're protective of Liam, even though he’s a lot bigger than you."

“Yeah but he’d do whatever I tell him." She grinned at him. Liam may have been the brawn, but she was definitely the brains.

"Resa wouldn't." Jesus chuckled, knowing full well that his sister would tell him to shove it. "She seems to know when to keep her mouth closed. It's weird not having seen her in so long."

“You’re lucky you found each other." Tammy knew that everyone had lost a lot of people, and she was beyond thankful that she still had Liam. She could only imagine it must’ve felt for Jesus and Resa when they had found each other. 

"She found me." Jesus mused, leaning forward on his elbows. "It's just strange to think this whole time she was so close."

“It must have been hard, thinking she was dead.” Tammy had remembered what it felt like when she thought that Liam was gone. “I found Liam a week after the outbreak.”

"You must have felt so relieved." Jesus smiled. Seeing Resa for the first time since everything that had had happened was a shock, but it was a very welcome one. He was glad that his sister was safe. He glanced at Tammy, noticing how she rubbed her arms and curled in on herself. "Are you cold?"

“A little. I’m a sook when it comes to the weather." She laughed, smiling at him warmly as he draped his jacket over her shoulders. “Thanks.” 

"It's strange when you get used to having power again." He chuckled, not that he didn’t mind that power. He’d gotten used to not having any, and the minute he’d gotten a taste of it again, it was something he didn’t want to take advantage of. 

‘Hot showers." Tammy sighed happily, just thinking about her shower back home. 

"Music. Sometimes." Jesus also pointed out, the two of them reminiscing on all the joys of power. He glanced at her as she drew her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. "What's wrong?"

“Just thinking. I could be back at Alexandria in a warm bed right now.” Tammy smiled, pushing her hair from her face.

"We do have warm beds, you know." Jesus raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk forming on his lips. "Or is it the company you miss?"

“Definitely the company.” Tammy admitted with a groan. “I’m never hearing the end of this."

"Probably not, no.”

* * *

Paul watched as Resa tidied her bed. She’d always prided herself on having a neat room before hell broke loose, so it didn’t surprise him that she attempted to keep her life in some sort of order. He’d noticed the attraction between her and Liam. She was an adult - she was perfectly at liberty to do what she wanted. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but feel protective of her.

“Hey.” He leaned in the doorway. “How you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” Resa arched an eyebrow as she tossed the final pillow onto the bed. “Why?”

“Making sure.” Paul liked to check in on her. “You and Liam got pretty close.”

Resa shrugged, nonchalant. “We hooked up.”

“And?”

“That was it.” He knew that Resa was being honest with him - they’d never lied to each other about this sort of thing. “We didn’t have sex. He had all these bites on him.”

“What?” Paul wasn’t sure what to make of the comment, since he didn’t think that Resa was referring to hickeys from a past partner. “You sure they were bites and not scars?”

“Bites,” Resa confirmed, fingers working fast to braid her hair. “He’s immune. So’s Tammy.”

“And you’re sure?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Yes, Paul.”

“Well.” Paul didn’t know what to say. He believed Resa, but it all seemed hard to take in. He’d never known anyone who was immune, or what that might mean for them. “Wow.”

“Now he thinks he repulses me or whatever.”

“Does he?” Paul asked, wondering what made Liam believe that.

“No. Of course not.” Resa swept her braid behind her shoulder, biting at her bottom lip. “Is Gregory going to try and send me back again?”

Paul sighed heavily. He knew that Gregory wasn’t fond of Resa’s presence, and didn’t want it to cause issues with Negan. All it took was Resa to be at Hilltop at the wrong point in time, and the fact that they’d been hiding her would be exposed.

“I’m trying to talk him out of it.”

Resa pulled a face. “So he still wants to?”

“Of course he does.” Paul didn’t like the guy at the best of times. “He likes getting what he wants.”

“So does Negan,” Resa said quietly, eyes fixing at a spot on the floor. He knew that was a sore spot for his sister, and that she was still trying to process everything that had happened in the Sanctuary.

“Did he ever do anything to hurt you?” Paul asked, curious to know precisely what had happened. He had the feeling that it hadn’t been a pleasant time for Resa, though she had never elaborated.

“You already asked me that,” she pointed out.

“I just wanna make sure.”

Resa hesitated. “He never hit me.”

“Or raped you?” Paul persisted. That was his main concern - that Negan might have forced his little sister into doing things she didn’t want. She had been his ‘wife’, after all, so he might have felt entitled to her.

“No.” Resa played with her hands, her voice shaking slightly. “Negan didn’t physically force us into anything. He was just emotionally manipulative. It doesn’t matter now.”

“Of course it matters.” Paul walked over, putting a hand on her arm, a surge of protectiveness rising within him. “I won’t let him hurt you again.”

Resa flung her arms around him. “Love you.”

Paul smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Love you too, baby sis.”

* * *

The last thing anyone in Alexandria had been expecting was for Tammy and Liam to be at each other’s throats as they walked back through the gates. They both were staring daggers at each other, and Tammy was happily yelling at her brother, who scowled and grumbled as he stalked off. It was almost as if a storm had swept into the community, and everyone who heard the commotion was sure to steer clear of the two siblings. 

"The hell?" Daryl questioned, walking over to Tammy as she stalked towards her house. "What happened there?"

“He’s being a prick.” Tammy snapped, shoving her door open and tugging her jacket off. She continued to tug her dirt covered clothes off as she walked towards her room. “Resa knows about us. She figured it out when he was half naked."

"Ah. Right." Daryl nodded slowly, watching as she pulled a clean shirt on, tugging at the material angrily. "So you're mad she found out?"

“Yes. I am, because she questioned him about it. Made it seem like we’re hiding all of this for no reason." She snarled, her features softening as she realised that it wasn’t fair to be taking her anger and frustrations out on him. She sighed heavily as she ran a hand through her hair, sitting on the edge of the bed. “The way he told me… It made it sound like she thought we didn’t want to help people.’

"Some people are just desperate for a solution." He reminded her, walking over and sitting on the bed beside her. "It ain't easy. None of it."

“I know. Trust me I know.” She muttered, shifting so she could press her face into his shoulder, shifting closer as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

Daryl kissed the top of her head, smiling as she pressed herself against him happily. "You should get some sleep."

“What even is sleep?” She joked, pushing herself to her feet.

"I hear it's when you close your eyes and nod off for a couple hours." He joked, tracing a small circle over the back of her hand in a comforting manner. 

“I can sleep later. I’m sure I am needed somewhere." Tammy shook her head, leaning down and kissing his cheek. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

Daryl nodded, pushing himself to his own feet. "You cooking or am I?"

“I’ll cook."


End file.
